Laura’s Comments (group member since Nov 04, 2015)

Laura’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Preeti wrote: "I have completed the book above and will add the answers to the DQs tomorrow.
I have a doubt... do we continue loading the books we complete in Round 1 or move them to Round 2?
I added the book abo..."

Round 1 runs until June 14th (or 15th, I can't remember right now). We started in the middle of May, so each new round will start in the middle of the next month.

Congrats on the new job, Daniel! I’ve heard a few people mentioning storms and power outages in Oklahoma and Texas recently. Stay safe!

Looks good. Maybe we’ll be able to move your Minotaur book to Crete. That seems to be a harder task.

I was trying to figure out where I might be able to fit my SOS Bingo book into the mini here. And then I saw it! Does anybody else see horns on this gargoyle?

My kids reminded me that the twist for the 50th was (view spoiler)[two boys and two girls from each district. And the girl Haymitch was in love with was in those games with him. (hide spoiler)]. Heartbreaking.

Thanks Preeti. I guess that’s why there was no info for that one when she finished it. I was able to fill in categories based on the cover, which is probably why I didn’t look for stuff on the wrong line.

Based on the previous comment, I just casually mentioned that Haymitch would have been in the 50th games, which would have been a ‘special’ one. And my kids just reminded me of all kinds of things about Haymitch’s games. And it’s so much worse than I remembered.

Hey team! Does someone have a book on the spreadsheet with a bayonet as a weapon, and characters Kat & Barrett that take shelter in a brothel and defend themselves against German soldiers? It looks like those reasons got misplaced on another line and don't apply to the book whose line they are on.

Perfect. That’s a quick audio that works for 2 different tasks!

I have Farmer Boy checked out. It's set on a working farm, but does anyone else see horns on the cover on those ox?

DQs – Day 3 Protective Impulses-Pert Thing

11. What do you think about the revelation in the garden/the haunting? Did you see it coming, and do you think there are others involved with the “curse”?

I did see something like this coming, if only because we know based on the original that the problems will be rooted in his wife. I do think there are others involved, since the haunt's behavior is so different from the reported character of the late Mrs. Rochester.

12. What do you think about Mr. Rochester sending away Jane and the staff? If you have read the original, how does this change Jane’s agency, and do you like the change? Either way, why do you think the author made it Mr. Rochester’s choice?

I thought it was really contrived. I get that it is retelling, but I have read some retellings which take 'poetic license' to heart. I didn't like him sending her away. I felt like it made the whole ending more dangerous and difficult than it needed to be.

13. Have you ever visited an Apothecary’s Garden? Would you be interested in seeing one? Do you grow any herbs or are you interested in growing any?

I have never seen one, but I would be interested in spending some time in one. I don't grow anything myself.

14. What do you think about the scene with Miss Ingram? What does this tell you about Mr. Rochester’s character and did that seem consistent with his character so far? Did his explanation make sense to you?

It felt like he was testing Jane, but he was the one who failed the test.

Depending on when Kamaria finishes her ToG books, we have midNIGHT and KINGdom.

I have options for a lot of the tasks. I’m just waiting to see what everyone else comes up with before I commit to which ones I’ll read.

Catching Fire doesn’t work for Cat/Fir/Ire because the hidden word has to be at least 4 letters.

Claire wrote: "For a book with an orange cover, I think I will read
I've been meaning to read it since the start of the year"

Looks good.

DQs Day 2 - Baneful-"My Own Wee Thing”

6. Jane gives Rochester a black-coloured thumb-sized stone to keep with him as a protective talisman. Do you believe in talismans? Please tell us about an object that you keep with you as a talisman?

I don't believe in talismans as talismans. But I do believe in comfort items! Does my Kindle count? :)

7. Between some of the chapters narrated from Jane’s point of view, we get chapters from Rochester’s point of view. What do you think of these “interludes”? Do they help or distract?

I found the first one startling, probably because I was listening to the audio and there was suddenly a male voice. I think they help. It is fun to have some knowledge that Jane doesn't have access too.

8. We are introduced to Dr. Poole. What did you think of this character particularly with regards to Jane meeting him in the poison garden? Were there any changes in your opinion after reading Agnes’ conversation with Jane about the late Mrs. Rochester?

I had a problem with Dr. Poole. My problem was that I keep picturing Tim Curry in the old movie 'Oscar'. And hearing Sylvester Stallone say, "Dr. Poole was right. You are an ox. And a moroon." And then I just couldn't process Dr. Poole properly after that.

9. We have been told several times about a curse on Thornfield. Then Jane follows Rochester to the graveyard where his family members are buried. At this point Jane says “This was a story of heartache. Everyone in Mr. Rochester’s family had died before their time, especially the females. Then his wife had done the same.” Do you think there is a connection between the curse and the early deaths?

At this point, I didn't believe there was a curse. But I could see how looking at those lifespans/early deaths, a person could fixate on it and decide they are cursed.

10. We have been given information about Jane and her origin? What do you think of this twist in the tale?

It seems like a bit much. It's one thing to find her mother. That shows that she has been drawn to this place. But to make her father a character that we were shown as totally unlikeable, with no redeeming qualities? I didn't like that.

Bonus: The author has used several of the same names as those of characters from Jane Eyre. Other than Jane, Rochester, we have Brocklehurst, Maria Temple, Mrs. Fairfax, Poole etc. What do you think about authors using the same names in retellings?

I think it works here. I usually don't mind it.

DQs - Day 1 - Prologue-Blackthorn

1. A paranormal retelling?? of Jane Eyre - this prompts the question about the original or let's call it the "source for inspiration". What is your relationship to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë? Have you read it? Loved/liked/disliked it?

I read Jane Eyre several times, probably starting at around 13 years old. I loved it!

2. What about Retellings? Is it a genre you like/avoid?

It's a genre I read for challenges. I don't go out of my way to avoid one if I happen to pick it up, but I also don't seek them out.

3. Jane Aire as a witch in a school for orphan witches? How do you like the setting of this alternative Victorian world where magic is at least tolerated?

I find it fascinating. I want to go back a little further and find out why, in this world, witchcraft is now accepted/tolerated, if not warmly embraced.

4. What are your first impressions of Jane and Rochester?

I couldn't help but compare them to their literary forebears. There is definitely less of a power gap between these two than between the originals.

5. What do you think about the occurrences in Thornfield? Are they really caused by supernatural elements or is it human action?

I assume supernatural roots from the beginning.

A couple of people have put Salt & Broom down for a word in text task. It also works for the hidden word task salt & bROOM.

The Malevolent Seven works for sEVEN

Okay, Team! The spreadsheet is working. We have 2 already done as an example.

If you're reading a book that works for a mini-challenge task, go to the Cornucopia sheet. In column A is a 'Ref code'. Take that number, and on the Round 1 sheet, on the row for your book, in Column N (Mini Ref), but the Ref code you found on Cornucopia. Then in Column O you put the reason your book works for this task. This will cause Cornucopia to fill in all the info about your book. Sounds complicated, but in reality it works out nicely. One of the books I was already planning to read works for a task, so I did this one as an example. And Keely's already found an embedded word in title for us as another example.

Diactric in Author's Name list has been added to the list of resources above. And copied to message 6 of this thread for ease of access.

Once it all gets set-up properly, I think we'll be able to place books into the mini-challenge sheet by adding the "Ref" code from the mini sheet to the Column N (Mini Ref) of the Round 1 sheet. That should populate all the information onto the Cornucopia sheet.